


When duty calls. The inlaws help.

by pinkyapples



Series: Teen Wolf Thingies [7]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Lawyer Peter Hale, Peter Hale Inlaws Help, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 14:41:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15608520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkyapples/pseuds/pinkyapples
Summary: Sarah Higgins-Smythe was the daughter of New England WASP parents and destined for greater things than marrying a mere Lawyer.  Peter and his inlaws never saw eye-to-eye but they agreed to disagreed because they both loved Sarah.  After the Hale Fire, they help, subtly, to ease the pain felt by the surviving Hales.





	When duty calls. The inlaws help.

Sarah Higgins-Smythe was the daughter of New England WASP parents and destined for greater things than marrying a mere Lawyer. 

Nevermind Peter Hale was the youngest partner at the prestigious Blackwood, Satori & Hale Law Firm. The Higgins-Smythe family were Senators, Congressmen, Corridors of Power and Business Leaders, "Old Money". The Hales were Lawmen, Councilmen, Community Leaders, "New Money". Didn't matter that both families traced their linage back to The Mayflower and First Settlers. One established themselves on the East Coast, the other on the West Coast.

Children rarely conform to their parents express wishes. Sarah met Peter at a fundraising dinner for her cousins latest Congress bid. Peter was attending under duress. He hated the candidate with a passion however his parents did business with the man's family. Networking was everything when you were a "young" company trying to break into the top ten Law Firms of New York. Blackwood, Satori & Hale were well established on the West Coast but while they'd been steadily growing in reputation in New York their sphere of influence was small. The Higgins-Smythe family were well connected, hence Peter representing the Hale Family at this fundraiser. 

"You look like you want to kill somebody, do you need a lawyer?" Peter startled and turned to the attractive brunette who spoke. "Fortunately, I am a lawyer." Peter replied.  
"Then you would have a fool for a client. You don't strike me as a fool." She smiled.  
Peter chuckled and introduced himself. For the rest of the evening they spoke. The following day they went on their first date and a year later they were engaged. Six months later they were married. The following year they moved to San Diego, opening their own Law Firm specialising in Bankruptcy Law. Four years later they were looking forward to their first child and were back in Beacon Hills, Ca, to tell Peter's family. Sarah had already told her parents and they planned to visit them the following weekend.

They never got the chance. The Hale Family burnt. Grandparents, Parents, Siblings and Cousins were murdered and Peter's parents-inlaw suddenly found themselves caring for three orphaned children and a comatose son-inlaw.

Deputy John Stilinski was on duty that fateful night. Arriving on scene, the Sheriff ordered him to take care of the three Hale children while the paramedics attended their Uncle. It was obvious to everyone in attendence that they were the only survivors. John took the children back to the Police Station and called his wife. Claudia Stilinski worked with Talia Hale as her secretary. Talia was, or had been, the Mayor of Beacon Hills. 

Claudia arrived holding a sleeping Stiles in her arms and sat with the crying Hale children until the Sheriff arrived. He allowed the Stilinski's to take tempory custody of Laura, Derek and Cora Hale until their nearest family could be notified.

Laura was 18, newly graduated from High School and hoping to get into Columbia University. Derek was 16 and a sophmore at Beacon Hills High School. Cora Hale was 13 and a senior at Beacon Hills Junior High School. Claudia's son Stiles, had just turned seven and was starting school in the Fall.

Until the fire, neither Joshua nor Amelia Higgins-Smythe had visited Beacon Hills. The Higgins-Smythe family, while not supernatural themselves were aware of that world. They had business dealings with three of the oldest Wolf Packs in America and knew of Talia Hale's reputation, though they never met her. Until their respective daughter and brother married. It meant that upon arriving in Beacon Hills they met first with the Emissary of The Hale Pack, Alan Deaton before meeting with the surviving three Hale children.

An afternoon spent with the Veterinarian-come-Druid nearly drove Joshua to murder. Amelia was inclined to agree and upon returning to their hotel room, both resolved to keep the surviving Hale family as far a way from the man as possible. That would be after they had him ward the hospital room their son-inlaw currently lay in a coma. The next order of business would be to speak with the children. 

The following day, Joshua returned to the Vet intent on getting the man to protect his son-inlaw. Amelia arranged to speak with Claudia Stilinski. It surprised her to learn that Talia had already made the woman aware of the supernatural. She wondered why her husband was still ignorant but Claudia informed her that only the current Sheriff would know of the Hale family.

The two women found common ground in their concern for Derek. Claudia told Amelia that Laura was now the Alpha of the Hale Pack. Claudia had been able to help her contact one of the New York Wolf Pack's and she had spoken of moving there once the current school year had finished. Amelia asked if she intended to move her Uncle to New York. Claudia didn't know. It seemed to her that Laura blamed Peter for the fire. She didn't know why. Amelia asked if they were in grief counciling. Claudia said they weren't but that the Vet Alan Deaton was often visiting, she knew him only as a family friend. Amelia kept her opinion to herself but resolved to make some inquiries into suitable therapists in New York, since it looked as if the children would be moving there in all likelihood.

When Laura met Amelia and Joshua the next day she wasn't quite sure what to think of them. Peter had always spoken scathingly of his parents-inlaw and Sarah hadn't really spoken about her parents. Laura, being precocious pointed this out and was met with a silence. Joshua haughtily informed her that just because they might not have approved of their daughter marrying her Uncle, the fact was they were her only living relatives and would do their duty of care regardless of personal feelings.

He then informed her that they would help her find sutible accommodation, schooling and therapy for all three when they moved to New York. They also informed her that they would arrange for care of Peter Hale until such time he awoke. Finally they would help Laura arrange the funeral for her family and stay until the official inquest was resolved and testaments read.

Barely a month following the devastating fire, Laura, Derek and Cora Hale were flying Eastward to a new life in New York. Laura would be mentored by The McKinnon Pack. Derek and Cora were enrolled in supernaturally friendly private schools. Sarah and Peter had also owned an apartment in the exclusive apartment block The Eldorado. Joshua and Amelia also made provision for them on their vast New England Estate, setting aside one of the former gameskeeper cottages which backed onto a private forest. It also bordered the McKinnon Pack lands so they would have somewhere safe to run on full moons.

Neither they nor Laura could convince Derek to see a therapist and while the three adults didn't like this, they wouldn't force the boy. It was apparent to all three that something other than survivors guilt plagued the boy, but it would have to wait. Laura spoke with Derek's school councillor and she had agreed to keep trying to reach out to him. 

They also arranged for Peter and Sarah's apartment in San Diego to be rented out. Their personal belongings were packed up and put into long-term storage with the account being automatically paid every year. They met with the Alpha of the Wolf Pack Peter had been affiliated to while in San Diego. Alpha Ross offered to have one of his pack affiliates nurse Peter and Joshua accepted. Jennifer wasn't impressed with having to move to Beacon Hills. Neither Alpha nor Joshua cared for her opinion.

Before returning to New York, Amelia had Claudia transfer the utility and local council rates to her name. It seemed to her the least she could practially do to support Laura while she concertrated on healing and looking after her brother and sister. Later, once back in New York and with subtle questioning and investigation, Amelia was able to put together a list of things the three remaining Hales hoped had survived the fire. She arranged for someone to see what was recoverable from the burnt remains of the Hale house. What was recoverable was carefully cleaned and if possible restored and then placed in storage. Amelia had the homestead cleansed and blessed by a white witch and warded by Alan Deaton to deter vandals, squatters and hunters. 

It wasn't her home to demolish or rebuild, that would fall to Laura, Derek, Cora and Peter to decide.

Once back in New York, Joshua saw little of his grand-nieces and grand-nephew. He didn't feel the need to know them better than he had known Peter. Amelia was more open to developing a relationship with the children, probably because they were her last link to Sarah. Mother and daughter had been estranged for most of Peter and Sarah's marriage. Laura understood this and the two women met monthly for lunch. They gradually became friends. During one of their lunches, Laura told Amelia Derek was seeing a therapist and that he felt personally responsible for the fire. Derek wouldn't explain why this was so to Laura.

Amelia told Laura of her and Joshua's own doubts about the fire. How that, at the time, their priorities were to herself, Derek and Cora. That if Laura wanted to re-open the investigation John Stilinski could help. Laura had asked why and been informed that he was now Sheriff of Beacon County. Claudia Stilinski had passed away the previous year and Stiles was spending a lot of time with Peter. Laura wondered if that was wise. Amelia said she didn't know. Neither Stiles' father nor the Hospital Staff seemed upset about the arrangement. The nurse Joshua had looking after her uncle hadn't complained.

Laura didn't say anything more but she didn think about Beacon Hills, about the possiblity of returning and whether or not it would be worth the risks involved. Cora would be graduating this year and Derek had finally found a job he liked, Landscaping. Both were content with their lives in New York but all three felt the pull to Beacon Hills. It was, when all was said and done, their home.

It couldn't hurt to ask the Sheriff to look into the Hale Fire. Could it?

**Author's Note:**

> This is very much a "What If?" situation. I just go to thinking that there must be someone connected by marriage to the Hale's alive. So this is my answer. I don't think there will be a second chapter.


End file.
